| colony count, microbial | Enumeration by direct count of viable, isolated bacterial or fungal cells or spores capable of growth on solid culture media. Each colony (i.e., microbial colony-forming unit) represents the progeny of a single cell in the original inoculum. The method is used routinely by environmental microbiologists for quantifying organisms in air, food, and water; by clinicians for measuring patients' microbial load; and in antimicrobial drug testing. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| colony counter | A device which counts the number of colonies on an agar plate (a solid growth medium). (09 Oct 1997) |
| colony hybridisation | <molecular biology> A genetics lab technique used to identify which colonies of bacteria on an agar plate contain a particular sequence of DNA or a particular gene. The technique involves pressing a nylon or nitrocellulose membrane onto the plate so that each colony contributes a small smudge of itself to the membrane, then treating the membrane with chemicals and heat, then washing the membrane with a labelled probe to find the specific DNA sequence. The smudges which are indicated by the probe are then compared back to the colonies on the agar plate. This technique is often used in conjunction with experiments involving the making of genomic libraries. (09 Oct 1997) |
| colony-forming unit | <cell biology> An individual cell which is able to clone itself into an entire colony of identical cells. Irradiated mice can have their immune systems reconstituted by the injection of bone marrow cells from a nonirradiated animal. The injected cells form colonies in the spleen (hence s), each colony representing the progeny of a pluripotent stem cell. Operationally, therefore, the number of colony-forming units is a measure of the number of stem cells. Acronym: CFU (09 Oct 1997) |
| colony-forming units assay | A cytologic technique for measuring the functional capacity of stem cells by assaying their activity. (12 Dec 1998) |
| colony-stimulating factor | <cell biology> A glycoprotein growth factor that regulates the differentiation of particular cells. These substances act in either paracrine or autocrine fashion on marrow cells, appear to act synergistically and can exert actions on several lines of progenitor cells, and influence end cell function. These lymphokines induce the maturation and proliferation of white blood cells from the primitive cell types present in bone marrow such as the leucocyte, macrophage and monocyte lines. These substances can also be made by recombinant DNA technology for use clinically to speed bone marrow recovery typically following chemotherapy. Acronym: CSF (18 Jul 2002) |
| colopathy | <pathology> Any disease or disorder of the colon. Origin: Gr. Pathos = disease (18 Nov 1997) |
| colopexostomy | <procedure, surgery> Rarely used term for establishment of an artificial anus by creation of an opening into the colon after its fixation to the abdominal wall. Origin: colo-+ G. Pexis, fixation, + stoma, mouth (05 Mar 2000) |
| colopexotomy | Rarely used term for incision into the colon after its fixation to the abdominal wall. Origin: colo-+ G. Pexis, fixation, + tome, incision (05 Mar 2000) |
| colopexy | Attachment of a portion of the colon to the abdominal wall. Origin: colo-+ G. Pexis, fixation (05 Mar 2000) |
| colophony | Synonym: rosin. Origin: Colophon, Summit, a town in Ionia (05 Mar 2000) |
| coloplication | Reduction of the lumen of a dilated colon by making folds or tucks in its walls. Synonym: coliplication. Origin: colo-+ Mod. L. Plica, fold (05 Mar 2000) |
| coloproctia | <surgery> An obsolete term for colostomy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| coloproctitis | Inflammation of both colon and rectum. Synonym: colourectitis, proctocolitis, rectocolitis. Origin: colo-+ G. Proktos, anus (rectum), + -itis, inflammation (05 Mar 2000) |
| coloproctostomy | <procedure, surgery> Establishment of a communication between the rectum and a discontinuous segment of the colon. Synonym: colourectostomy. Origin: colo-+ G. Proktos, anus (rectum), + stoma, mouth (05 Mar 2000) |